1
as in played
to engage in activity for amusement
he spent his college years dallying, seemingly determined to acquire as little knowledge as possible
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lingered
to move or act slowly
don't dally on the way to the interview
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flirted
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
she spent the summer dallying with a guy renting the neighboring beach house
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dawdled
to spend time doing nothing
I kept dallying at my desk until I couldn't put off doing my work any longer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dallied
The full-backs, meanwhile, took their time from throw-ins, ensuring team-mates behind the ball were secure and Emiliano Martinez, who produced a second spellbinding save in as many visits to Nottingham, dallied from goal kicks.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dallied
Verb
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Lastly, the Angels played the video deposition of Eric Smith, a former Arizona Diamondbacks farmhand.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
9 Dec. 2025
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The two albums were released on the same day back in January 2005, and each album will be played in full at each date.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The late Luke Perry only appeared on one episode of Criminal Minds, but his character’s presence lingered long after he was gone.—
Rachel LaBonte,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
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In the compound, the influence of the Tates’ father lingered.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
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In the mid-1990s the Bears again flirted with other ideas — including Gary in 1995 — before Soldier Field was renovated in the early 2000s.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
9 June 2026
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The pop star has flirted with the idea of performing on the Main Stem before.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.—
Thomas Black,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
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Fava snuffled and dawdled and took her own sweet time up the sidewalk.—
Dan Kois,
New Yorker,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Four years later — after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves.—
Pat Graham,
Chicago Tribune,
12 May 2026
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Four years later — and after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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That money was delayed in getting to Foxborough amid a congressional funding freeze.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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The team’s charter flight from Mexico to Miami Sunday night was delayed a few hours due to missing documentation.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Verb
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In the first slide, Olive rested on Benson’s chest as the two lounged on a sofa on a sunny day, looking at the camera.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
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His wife lounged near their tent, sunning and reading.—
Byron W. Dalrymple,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Even fever can’t keep him down, as the 27-year-old dragged himself off the bench at half-time to score a brace and change the game in a 3-2 comeback triumph at Torino on Monday.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
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The chute dragged the skydiver backward, knocking the camera operator off the plane and into free fall.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dallied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dallied. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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